Tommy Fleetwood effortlessly sealed the deal and fulfilled an ambition in claiming the DP World India Championship, where – for the first time as a winner – his young son Frankie was able to race on to the 18th green to share the moment.
The Englishman shot a final round 65 for a total of 22-under-par 266 for a two-strokes winning margin over Japan’s Keita Nakajima, with Shane Lowry two shots further back in a share of third. With victory earning Fleetwood a cheque for €580,000 it lifted him to 25th in the updated Race to Dubai order of merit standings.
Yet, it was being able to share that winning moment with Frankie that brought most pleasure to the Ryder Cup star in adding the win to his breakthrough PGA Tour success at the Tour Championship in August.
“We were at home [in Dubai] last week and we were driving the buggy. I think we were playing golf together, and he [Frankie] just said randomly, ‘Do you know what you’ve never done? You’ve never won a tournament and I’ve been able to run on to the 18th green’. I was like, ‘I’m writing that down’.
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“I had that written down all week. Like I say, it was just another opportunity really. There’s going to be many more times where I hopefully get the chance to do that. But all day today, I had in my mind could I put myself in a position where I can actually make that moment happen?
“It’s just one of those little things, it means a lot to me. It means so much to me. That was really cool. That’s what I wanted to do all day.”
Lowry was one of the first players to offer congratulations to his European team-mate, after the Offaly man – in the group ahead – finished with 68 for 270, which moved him up 47 places in the order of merit to 107th.
Although Lowry’s third-place finish didn’t enable him to make it into the top-70 on the Race to Dubai standings, his season will be extended in earning an exemption into next month’s Abu Dhabi Championship and the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai thanks to a little known rule which gives members of the current Ryder Cup team places in the fields at both tournaments.
The top-70 – plus any Europe Ryder Cup player not exempt – play in Abu Dhabi and the top-50 – again with that special regulation in play – make it to the Tour Championship in Dubai.
Rory McIlroy finished with a 71 for 277 and a share of 26th place which further strengthened his lead atop the order of merit – over England’s Marco Penge – as the Northern Irishman chases a seventh Vardon Trophy success.
